Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/534048
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 JUNE 2015 News 3 TIM DIACONO THE Opposition yesterday called on the Prime Minister to instantly suspend former police commis- sioner Ray Zammit from his public posts, and to launch an independ- ent inquiry into his family's busi- ness connections with Joe Gaffare- na and into the role of Zammit's son Daniel as prosecutor in mur- der charges against Gaffarena's son-in-law. The Zammit and Gaffarena fami- lies formed a business relationship as early as 2010, through the for- mation of St Gabriel's Residential Homes. But a year earlier, Zammit's son Daniel was a co-prosecutor of Gaffarena's son-in-law, Stephen Caruana, who was charged with the murder of his wife's alleged lover, whom he shot dead with a shotgun, when he surprised him at home. Caruana has not yet been put under a bill of indictment and the case remains at the compila- tion of evidence stage. The allegations of proxim- ity between the two families were published by blogger and Malta Independent columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who said Ray Zammit's and his two sons' shares had been transferred to their mother Jane in 2014. Another company was formed that same year, Geras Care Ltd, with Joe Gaf- farena himself. On the other hand, St Gabriel's Residential Homes was formed in 2010 with Gaffarena's son Michael, a dentist, and gynae- cologist George Buttigieg, whose daughter was at the time married to Daniel Zammit. Yesterday the PN demanded that the government take action on the allegations of collusion, since it was suggested that Zammit had asked the court in 2009 to have the case heard behind closed doors. "The government has not yet ut- tered a word about it in the hope that the story will die down," shad- ow home affairs minister Beppe Fenech Adami told a press confer- ence. "This is a case of potential corruption in the prosecution of a murder suspect and it has cast a bad light on both the justice sys- tem and the police force." He also called on energy minis- ter Konrad Mizzi to explain how Daniel Zammit landed a job at En- emalta's internal audit division so shortly after being boarded out of the police force. In a reaction, the government said that it was seeking the advice of the Attorney General as to the best way it could investigate Dan- iel Zammit's role in the prosecu- tion of Stephen Caruana on mur- der charges. "This decision will be announced once it is taken. This case took place under the previous admin- istration, when the prosecution was being led by the former police inspector and when the said com- pany was formed along with the inspector." Daniel Zammit rose to contro- versial prominence when he medi- cally boarded out of the police force within four days of making his request and subsequently was drafted into a €60,000 job at En- emalta's audit division. When the news broke in parliament earlier this week, he was instantly fired by Minister Konrad Mizzi, who told the press he had not been in- formed of the decision. Shadow justice minister Jason Azzopardi said that public offic- ers are bound by the public service code to seek the permission of the Permanent Secretary before get- ting involved in a private business. When questioned as to why Zammit's business interests with Gaffarena had not been noticed earlier, Azzopardi said that it was "humanly impossible" to keep dai- ly tabs on the potential conflicts of interest of prosecuting officers. "There are thousands of police officers in the force and new com- panies are registered every day. It is humanly impossible for the po- lice to conduct a daily search of the new companies to discover wheth- er any of them could potentially constitute a conflict of interest for a prosecuting officer. That's why it's up to police officers themselves to declare their own business in- terests." tdiacono@mediatoday.com.mt MATTHEW AGIUS THE Curia has refused to disclose any information on what could well be the fifth possible clerical sex abuse case this year. Contacted for its reaction to a news report of another impend- ing prosecution for sex abuse by a member of the clergy, the Curia re- affirmed its policy of not divulging information about specific cases. Yesterday TVM said a priest was due to be arraigned in the coming days in connection with abuse of minors, with police having gath- ered enough evidence to prosecute the suspect. The priest is expected to be prosecuted by writ of sum- mons, not under arrest. This is the fifth reported case of clerical sex abuse which has come to light since Archbishop Charles Scicluna was installed in March. Scicluna said in May that four cases were being investigated by the Safeguarding Commission set up earlier that year to replace the Church Response Team previously presided by retired judge Franco Depasquale. The diocese said yesterday that the necessary action was taken in all cases where a risk of harm to children or vulnerable adults was present, "based on the information passed on to the Commission and on the outcome of its initial assess- ment." PN flags 'potential corruption' in prosecution of murder case Curia mum on new sex abuse allegations PN wants suspension of former police chief over his business relationship with Joe Gaffarena, and Ray Zammit's son's role as prosecutor in murder charges against Gaffarena's son-in-law Beppe Fenech Adami – sees potential corruption Suspension sought of former police commissioner Ray Zammit (above) Daniel Zammit